Chapter 422

Chapter 422: The Incident

That night, at the besieger’s office in Beiwang City.

Inside the hall, the lights were bright. One by one, graceful maids, moving like flowing clouds, elegantly brought out steaming plates of delicious food, quickly filling the round tables.

After seven days, besieger Ji Yongtai hosted Wang Chen and Zuo Xiaomo here once again.

He had clearly received the news that Wang Chen had exited the hidden chamber and then sent someone to convey the message.

Wang Chen gladly accepted the invitation.

“Brother Wang, failing to break through is a common occurrence.”

The besieger of Beiwang City personally poured Wang Chen a cup of spiritual wine, smiling as he said, “At the Purple Palace level, there are always higher peaks to climb. We cultivators must bravely scale the heights without admitting defeat!”

“I appreciate your guidance.”

Wang Chen clasped his fists and bowed, then raised his goblet and drank it all in one go.

In his heart, he silently lamented.

Ji Yongtai was a courageous cultivator; such a quality could not be faked. As a disciple of the West Sea Sect who came from a background of loose cultivators, his journey of cultivation was undoubtedly filled with thorns and challenges.

Many would retreat when faced with difficulties and setbacks.

But Ji Yongtai, as he said himself, bravely climbed without admitting defeat!

Sadly, the path to the peak has both a righteous way and an evil path. If one starts down the wrong road, no matter how high they climb, they are bound to fall to pieces.

“Brother Zuo…”

While Wang Chen was lost in thought, Ji Yongtai spoke to Zuo Xiaomo again: “Don’t be discouraged. In the next couple of days, I will find a way to bring back a group of battle cultivators to assist you. They are far better than those loose cultivators.”

He sighed, “Loose cultivators are like this; they fear for themselves when it comes to big tasks and forget righteousness when faced with small profits. Expecting them to risk their lives is impossible, so these people are of little use.”

Zuo Xiaomo nodded instinctively.

His biggest realization from recruiting loose cultivators in recent days was that these individuals were all clever and slippery. Even if he managed to gather enough of them, relying on them to eliminate bandits was as foolish as dreaming.

However, Zuo Xiaomo also had a vague feeling that Ji Yongtai seemed to be laughing at him—despite his sincere tone.

He exchanged a glance with Wang Chen.

“Come, come, come!”

Ji Yongtai raised his goblet and said, “Let’s not discuss these depressing matters; let’s drink to our heart’s content, brothers!”

Boom!

Just as his words fell, a thunderous sound suddenly erupted from outside, shaking the very foundation of the besieger’s office.

It sounded as if a meteor had crashed into the besieger’s office, causing the ground to tremble violently and the buildings to shake!

An incident had occurred!

Ji Yongtai’s expression changed dramatically.

The besieger’s office in Beiwang City was his long-established stronghold, equipped with powerful formations and protected by dozens of high-level Qi Training cultivators.

With him, a Purple Palace cultivator, even a high-level Purple Palace attack would struggle to breach the defenses of the besieger’s office.

But now, Ji Yongtai clearly sensed that the formations had not yet activated and were being forcefully destroyed!

Who possesses such capability?

As the enormous doubt arose in the mind of the besieger, a group of cultivators suddenly surged into the hall.

Leading them was a tall, slender man with a sinister expression. His gaze swept across the room, and a profound aura instantly enveloped the entire hall.

All the maids and attendants present involuntarily knelt down, trembling in fear.

The man spoke in a deep voice, “I am Li Feiyuan, the head of the Punishment Department. Who is Wang Chen?”

Wang Chen stepped forward without hesitation and bowed, “I am Wang Chen, paying my respects to Head Li.”

Ji Yongtai abruptly turned to Wang Chen, his eyes filled with horror, and his mouth twitched slightly.

Li Feiyuan nodded, “Bring forth the evidence.”

Wang Chen immediately took out a jade box filled with letters from his storage bag and presented it with both hands.

At that moment, Wang Chen was also deeply surprised.

The head of the Punishment Department had arrived far too quickly!

After all, Beiwang City is located on the edge of Zhongzhou, extremely far from the West Sea Sect’s mountain gate. Although he had previously used a talisman supplied by his sect to send the message, the speed of their response and the ferocity of their actions were beyond imagination.

Wang Chen had thought that the sect members would not arrive until at least the next day.

Yet they came tonight!

Li Feiyuan’s aura clearly reached the peak of the Purple Palace level, and the two men following him were also Purple Palace cultivators.

The three formed a formation similar to the "Three Talents Formation," exerting immense pressure on everyone in the hall.

Their arrival was overwhelming, akin to a force of thunder!

This demonstrates how seriously the sect views this matter!

Li Feiyuan opened the jade box without even looking at the letters inside; he simply swept his divine sense over them. His expression immediately darkened as he fixed his gaze on Ji Yongtai: “Ji Yongtai, do you know your crime?”

Sweat broke out on Ji Yongtai’s forehead, and he nearly stumbled under the weight of Li Feiyuan’s oppressive force.

Yet he gritted his teeth and replied, “I—I do not know what mistake I have made!”

“Ha ha.”

Li Feiyuan seized a few letters from the jade box: “These are correspondences between you and the bandit leader Xuanyi Dao Ren, plotting to attack merchant caravans and rob pastoral tribes. With evidence as solid as a mountain, do you still dare to argue?”

Ji Yongtai lowered his head: “I have never done such a thing. I am wrongly accused; please judge fairly, Head!”

“Wrongly accused?”

Li Feiyuan scoffed: “Do you know that Wang Chen has killed Xuanyi Dao Ren? He found these letters!”

To prove the head’s statement, Wang Chen quietly took Xuanyi Dao Ren’s corpse from his storage bag.

Ji Yongtai’s face turned instantaneously pale!

He never dreamed that Wang Chen would eliminate Xuanyi Dao Ren right under his nose.

Without this corpse, Ji Yongtai could still desperately argue that the letters were forged or even try to frame Wang Chen, accusing him of intentional deceit.

But now the sect would only trust Wang Chen, who had successfully completed the task.

And the besieger could not fathom how Wang Chen had accomplished this.

At that moment, cries suddenly echoed from the back courtyard.

The besieger’s office in Beiwang City was already completely under the control of Li Feiyuan’s men.

The few remaining resistors were now corpses on the ground!

“Ji Yongtai!”

Li Feiyuan shouted fiercely: “What else can you say to defend yourself?”

Ji Yongtai’s face was ashen, and without any hope left, he slumped to his knees: “I confess my crime and only plead for mercy for my wife and child; they are innocent.”

Ji Yongtai had already established himself in Beiwang City, marrying multiple wives and having several children.

He knew very well that he couldn’t withstand the brutal interrogations of the Punishment Department; the consequences of resisting would be far worse than confessing now, potentially endangering his wife and child.

Li Feiyuan looked at the kneeling Ji Yongtai with cold indifference: “You have one chance.”

Ji Yongtai pressed his forehead against the cold floor: “Yes.”